Although Yang Sichang said that the time was the time, Zheng Xunrui still rushed to the Forbidden City, and the eunuchs in the palace sent a jade plate overnight, which was the proof that Zheng Xunrui was able to enter the Forbidden City.

Under the leadership of the officials of the Ministry of Rites, Zheng Xunrui came to wait outside the Qianqing Palace, and the early dynasty had not yet ended.

After a while, Hong Chengchou also came.

Zheng Xunrui looked at Hong Chengchou and nodded, although both of them live in the official post, they will not ask about such a thing, and they will not come to the Forbidden City together, this is a taboo in the officialdom, if the two of them ventilated in advance and came to the Forbidden City together, it will arouse the emperor's suspicion, after all, both of them are court officials with heavy troops.

At that time, Zheng Xunrui, who was already waiting a little impatiently, finally saw the eunuch come out of the Qianqing Palace.

According to the rank, Hong Chengchou is in front, Zheng Xunrui naturally knows the rules, one step behind Hong Chengchou, and follows behind to enter the Qianqing Palace.

After entering, Zheng Xunrui quickly felt an unusual gaze and atmosphere, almost everyone looked at him, these people were the top existences of the Ming Imperial Court.

Zheng Xunrui looked calm, and Hong Chengchou and the two met with the emperor.

In comparison, Hong Chengchou, who is much older, seems a little excited, after all, Hong Chengchou has not had much time to see the emperor, perhaps deliberately suppressing his emotions, Hong Chengchou's face looks a little pale.

The decree was soon announced.

Zheng Xunrui, the governor of Hubu Shangshu, the right capital Yushi, and the governor of Caoyun, defended the capital against the Houjin Tartars, and was crowned the prince Taibao, and the Zheng family army rewarded 1 million taels of silver.

Hong Chengchou only received a verbal commendation, and there was no special holy decree.

Zheng Xunrui received the order of thanksgiving, and from this moment on, he became a member of the Ming court, the same as the cabinet minister.

Such a reward, in Zheng Xunrui's expectation, actually contains a crisis. With such a huge merit, the emperor didn't know how to reward it, so he could only crown the crown prince and make him a member of the first grade. In the imperial court, the number of civil officials from the first rank did not exceed ten, as for the military attaché, the number is quite a lot, but the military attache and the civil official cannot be compared. The status is very different, even if it is a military attache of the first rank, when he sees a civil official of the second grade, he has to salute.

Yuan Chonghuan, who was the second grade, and Mao Wenlong, the military attache who was the first grade, were angrily beheaded, and the emperor did not have any punishment, which made the status of the military attache even lower.

One million taels of silver, Zheng Xunrui didn't care, this amount of silver was not enough to subsidize the soldiers of the Zheng family army who died in battle.

However, Zheng Xunrui will not show any emotions, his position in the court is delicate enough.

The deliberations of the Ming court were generally early dynasties. But it is impossible for the early dynasty to really decide many things, generally after the early dynasty dispersed, the cabinet ministers gathered in the Qianqing Palace to discuss with the emperor in detail, so in fact, the discussion of major affairs in the court was after the early dynasty, when the cabinet ministers gathered in the Qianqing Palace.

Dolgon had just led his troops to withdraw, and the imperial court had to stabilize the situation in Beizhili, and many things had to be discussed.

Sure enough, Zheng Xunrui received the holy decree. After stepping aside, the emperor began to deliberate.

The first thing is how to deal with Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming and others who were Golden Tartars after surrendering.

The opinions of the early dynasty were one-sided, and all of them were shouting and killing. According to the sins of Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming, killing the head is the lightest punishment, and it can be executed by Ling Chi.

The emperor raised the matter, and Zhang Zhifa, the first assistant of the cabinet, spoke first, thinking that Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming were extremely evil, and were named King Gongshun and King Huaishun by Houjin. There is no forgiveness for sin, and it should be put to death.

After Zhang Zhifa said this, he basically agreed.

Zheng Xunrui narrowed his eyes, he once wrote a special note to the cabinet, and put forward the handling of Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming, in principle, both of them should indeed be killed, so that those who surrendered to the Golden Tartars can see, the end is like this, but Zheng Xunrui thinks that the situation of the two is a little different, Geng Zhongming once assisted the Zheng family army to exterminate nearly 10,000 Houjin Tartars, and Geng Zhongming did not deliberately destroy the city, from these aspects, you can leave Geng Zhongming with his life, In order to show the court's mind of both rigidity and softness.

Zheng Xunrui also specifically mentioned that Geng Zhongming could be asked to take himself as a lesson and warn those who want to surrender to Houjin Tatar, or those who have already surrendered to Houjin, not to do stupid things and turn back.

Why is the cabinet surprisingly unanimous, all of them are executed by Ling Chi.

Zheng Xunrui didn't believe that the emperor didn't see his twists and turns.

After thinking for a while, Zheng Xunrui spoke unhurriedly.

"Your Majesty, cabinet deliberations, ministers should not have interjected, how to deal with Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming, the early dynasty had a clear opinion, but the ministers have some different opinions, Kong Youde is extremely evil, and he should be executed by Ling Chi, when he captured Dengzhou Laizhou, the court suffered huge losses, Kong Youde is the main culprit, and the crime is unforgivable."

"As for Geng Zhongming, the minister thinks that the situation is a little different, when Geng Zhongming opened the city gate to greet Kong Youde, this move was also very hateful, thinking of these, the minister was resentful, but Geng Zhongming once assisted the Zheng family army to exterminate nearly 10,000 Houjin Tartars, this move is also a credit anyway."

"The minister only starts from this aspect, interceding for Geng Zhongming, it is also a little unreasonable, the minister thinks that the court forgives Geng Zhongming, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, so many years, after the surrender of the Golden Tartars, there are many people, let Geng Zhongming take himself as a lesson, and warn those who want to defect to the Houjin Tartars to take warning, do not have bad thoughts, and can advise those who surrender to the Golden Tartars, turn back as soon as possible, do not betray the ancestors, do not insult the family."

"If Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming are all killed, it will be refreshing, but those who have surrendered to the Golden Tartars feel that there is no way out, so they simply break the jar and break it, and they are desperate, killing Kong Youde and pardoning Geng Zhongming can make many people see that even Geng Zhongming can be pardoned by the imperial court, and others can also be pardoned."

After Zheng Xunrui finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent.

Soon, a voice came out.

"The minister thinks that Lord Zheng's suggestion is inappropriate, it can be said that there is no distinction between good and evil, Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming are both extremely evil people, and there is no reason for forgiveness, and they followed Dolgon into the pass and plundered, and they were also vicious, and followed the Houjin Tartar with all their hearts, and the minister thought that the court was to establish righteousness, and for this kind of heinous people, it was to be executed by Ling Chi."

It was Cabinet Secretary Qian Shisheng who spoke.

Qian Shisheng's words do make sense, Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming's fame is too great.

After Qian Shisheng finished speaking, cabinet ministers Hou Xun and Huang Shijun both expressed their support, and the rest did not speak.

Zheng Xunrui is obviously at a disadvantage, and Zhang Zhifa, the first assistant of the previous cabinet, has already made his attitude clear.

Zheng Xunrui lowered his head, a sneer appeared on his face, he already understood, it seems that he has become the focus of attention, a figure that cabinet ministers have to avoid, and no one dares to publicly comply with the suggestions and opinions he put forward, otherwise he may be charged with forming a party for personal gain, and no one can bear such a charge.

The final opinion speaks for itself.

Give me a horse, thinking that I will care, Zheng Xunrui secretly made up his mind, there are almost no people in the court that he can fully trust, not to mention in the cabinet, most of these people are for their own interests, and they will never gamble with their future, let alone come forward for him Zheng Xunrui at a critical moment.

This is the truth in the imperial court, cruel and realistic.

The next discussion is how to deal with Xiong Wencan, the governor of the five provinces.

This time, the discussion went very smoothly, and the cabinet ministers all believed that Xiong Wencan's defeat was excusable.

The emperor approved the cabinet's request, but Xiong Wencan could not continue to serve as the governor of the five provinces, because of the defeat of the army, he was demoted to an ordinary person, and he did not have to go to prison, and his life was saved.

The candidate recommended by the cabinet for the governors of the five provinces was Sun Chuanting.

Hearing Sun Chuanting's name, Zheng Xunrui's body trembled slightly.

Sun Chuanting is a rare fierce general in the late Ming Dynasty in history, but unfortunately the career has always been bumpy, and later died in the suppression of Liukou, the history of the Ming Dynasty once commented: Chuanting died, and the Ming Dynasty died.

Sun Chuanting is the forty-seventh year of Wanli Jinshi, because he offended Wei Zhongxian, resigned and returned home, Chongzhen nine years, was recommended by the gentry of Shanxi, returned to the imperial court, has been in the Imperial Procuratorate, and now is the right of the Imperial Palace.

The cabinet's recommendation of Sun Chuanting to be the governor of the five provinces is really a good candidate, and it is believed that the rogue bandits who are ravaging in Henan, Shanxi, Huguang, and Sichuan will suffer a heavy blow.

This is also a good thing for Zheng Xunrui.

However, there seems to be some contradictions between Sun Chuanting and Yang Sichang, in such a situation, as the governor of the five provinces, I don't know if he can be free to exert himself, if he encounters many restrictions, the outcome is really hard to say.

After all, there is no one with Zheng Xunrui's confidence in the court.

After the discussion, Zheng Xunrui left the Qianqing Palace and soon returned to the official post.

There is nothing left to stay in the capital, you can go back to Huai'an, the court is to give this reward, which is similar to sending Huazi, this time Zheng Xunrui came to the capital, just to feel the atmosphere.

Zheng Xunrui went to his parents' house again, and he still had to say goodbye to his parents and Erniang before leaving.

It was also at this time that Zheng Xunrui heard an explosive news that Zhang Zhifa, the first assistant of the cabinet, went to the post of first assistant, returned home, and the emperor was crowned the crown prince and prince.

Zhou Yanru served as the first assistant to the cabinet.

This appointment shocked Zheng Xunrui, he almost decided to stay in the capital for a while to figure out the reason inside, but it was the Spring Festival soon, and he still had to go back to Huai'an, Wen Manshan and the others were all looking at it.

On the day when the news of the change of the cabinet was reported in the imperial court, Zheng Xunrui led a thousand soldiers to leave the capital and return to Huai'an. (To be continued.) )